IT’S ONLY A SHOW

12 Mar 2012

Ghost Stories was a unique proposition on the West End during its wildly popular run. A thrilling, rollercoaster ride of shocks and scares, we developed a tantalising marketing campaign that highlighted this fact in a subtle, teasing manner.

Using the strapline “Keep Telling Yourself It’s Only a Show” as inspiration, a punchy video was developed that used infrared technology to capture some of the reactions from early preview audiences. And while theatregoers’ shrieks, screams and panic were dramatic, the tension was purposefully ratcheted up by placing an embargo on both the show’s content and the seeding of any production shots.

The secret behind the scares remained just that. Word of mouth was a key element to the show’s sustained success and our provocative trailer (which, through several channels, received over 400,000 views on YouTube), coupled with the prominent advisory warning on all marketing materials, ensured that audiences continued to talk about Ghost Stories throughout its run.